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BOSTON – People eating at immobile food restaurants are n’t very good at figure how many calories are in their meals , particularly if they ’re eating at Subway , a new study suggests .
For the study , researchers queried more than 3,000 client , including adult , teenagers and parents with young child , at suchfast intellectual nourishment chainsin New England , such as McDonald ’s , Burger King , Subway , Wendy ’s , KFC and Dunkin ' Donuts . client were asked how many kilogram calorie they thought were in their meal ( or , if they were parents , in their child ’s meals ) , and researchers viewed receipts to verify what was purchase .
About two - thirds of customers think there were few calories in their meal than there really were , harmonize to the subject presented here at the American Public Health Association . [ 9 Snack Foods : Healthy or Not ? ]
On mediocre , adult underestimate the calorie content of their food by 175 kilogram calorie , stripling underrate by 259 Calorie , and parent underestimate their children ’s meals by 175 calories .
The biggest underreckoning were at Subway : Calorie estimates were about 20 to 25 percent more incorrect at Subway than at McDonald ’s . On median , adolescent use up at the sandwich chain underestimated by nigh 500 large calorie .
People were also more likely to underrate calories if they had a big repast , or if they also underestimated how many calories they demand in a daytime .
The researchers aver they do n’t know why mass seem to have more worry estimating the calorie contentedness of solid food from Subway . But it could be because the mountain chain has made a adult endeavor to advertize its low - calorie sandwich , run some people to erroneously believe that all sandwich sold at the restaurant are low - kilocalorie .
" underground has really had a very cooperative effort to distinguish themselves as a intelligent strand , " read study researcher Dr. Jason Block , an assistant professor of population music at Harvard Medical School . " It ’s not faulty . you may eat healthfully there , " but a slew of masses do n’t , Block read .
alternatively of order the smaller , 6 - inch - farsighted sandwiches , client often bribe the foot - farseeing sandwiches , because they are sold at a buy terms .
" No matter what you put on a foot - long part of dinero , it ’s a portion of calories , " Block said .
Soon , restaurant chains with more than 20 locations will be required to postcalorie information on menus . ( A constabulary requiring nutritionist’s calorie posting at chain of mountains eating place was passed in 2010 as part of the Affordable Care Act , but it has yet to be in full implement because the Food and Drug Administration is still fill in the specific regulations . )
Placing calories on restaurant menus throughout the country will be a large experimentation , and researchers will be looking to see if it convert multitude ’s purchasing behaviour , Block said .
Even if it has no effect ( some studies suggestcalorie posting on menus do n’t vary behaviour ) , it may make masses more aware of calories , and may cause some chains to make change to their menus or to their formula , Block said . Some restaurants have made change already : a few months ago , Burger King start selling low - nutritionist’s calorie fries .
